Tourist Wins €520k Slots Jackpot On Last Day Of 2014

For most people the prospect of putting 60 cents in a slot machine and receiving a payout of €519,956 is the stuff of fantasy. For one lucky Belgian holidaying in France, however, such a dream became a reality after he hit a huge progressive jackpot at the Casino Barrière de La Rochelle.
The life-changing event took place around midday on New Year’s Eve, after the 25-year-old fed three twenty cent coins into the slot machine, before all the reels aligned in just the right way to release the jackpot and set all the lights flashing. Unsurprisingly, the young punter could hardly believe his incredible fortune, and commenting on the moment the bells started ringing, the general manager of the casino, Christopher Jordan, said:
“It’s unreal. He seemed groggy, overcome with emotion and could barely talk. We had to pay attention to his emotional state and adjust to him. This young man had to be calmed down in this case because the sky fell on his head! Albeit a blue sky, anyway.”
Needless to say, its fair to assume the lucky winner must have enjoyed one heck of a New Year’s Eve celebration after receiving the huge payout, and is likely to have woken up with quite a hangover this morning. The good news for him, however, is that while his headache will soon get better, the unexpected €519,956 payout should stay a feature of his bank account for some time to come.
While the jackpot was the largest slots win yet recorded at La Rochelle casino, the biggest ever payout in France took place in March 2011 at the Joa Casino Port Crouesty, after the “Magic Jackpot” slot connecting 300 machines was struck for a massive €9,420,902.